Photo above: From left to right, Katy Grant, Amanda Del Risco, Dr. Omaida Velazquez, and Taylor Stauffer
On Wednesday, November 9, 2022, Duke Surgery hosted the fourth annual Association of Women Surgeons (AWS) Grand Rounds.
AWS Grand Rounds serves as an opportunity to bring together medical students, residents, and faculty to catalyze an important shift in the culture of medicine and address implicit bias and microaggressions. The keynote speech and workshops aim to help attendees gain a common understanding of the challenges posed to women surgeons and of avenues to propose, implement, and revise strategies to address these challenges together as a Duke community.
The keynote speaker for this year's event was Omaida C. Velazquez, MD, FACS, Chair of the DeWitt Daughtry Family Department of Surgery at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Dr. Velazquez is also Surgeon-in-Chief for UHealth & Jackson Health Systems, and is the first Latina Chair and Surgeon-in-Chief in the United States.
Dr. Velazquez spoke to attendees about the Gender Diversity Revolution, sharing insights about leadership, mentorship, and her work as a surgeon–scientist.
The annual AWS Grand Rounds is coordinated by the president(s) of the Duke School of Medicine's AWS Chapter. This year, that honor fell to co-presidents elect Taylor Stauffer and Katy Grant and outgoing president Amanda Del Risco, advised by general surgery resident Dr. Holly Lewis.
Grant and Stauffer also delivered talks during the event, along with current Duke Surgery residents Drs. Mariya Samoylova, Austin Eckhoff, and Antanina Voit.